Hello! I'm quite the fountain pen novice, only being seduced by them earlier this month. My first 'experience'(and I use this term loosely) with a fountain pen was with a disposable Pilot :doh: I'll give you all a moment to pick yourselves up off the floor after that comment...Anyway, I then bought my first 'real' one from Richard Binder. I loved the look of the Taccia Imperial Portuguese in Forest Marble (gorgeous) and got that one with their standard medium steel nib. I toyed with the idea of having Richard modify it but since I really have no idea what I'm doing yet, I'll leave that for future purchases

So far I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Taccia Imperial Portuguese and am using Noodler's Purple ink or PR Plum cartridges and write on Clairefontaine notebooks - smooth as silk providing a truly joyous writing experience. I have a feeling this is going to be a very expensive and fulfilling obsession 9

I also adore spending time with my great family (hubby and 2 young kids) and friends, collecting first editions from my favorite authors, writing, reading, and listening to music (essential to me as breathing), CHOCOLATE!, and art history. I'm crazy about octopi, too!

It's really good to be here, gathering and exchanging information, and knowing that the art of writing has, in fact, not died. Apologies in advance for all the utterly ignorant questions I foresee posting...ciao bella!

Welcome to the FPNuthouse! Went from a disposable Pilot to a pen from Binder, huh? Now you are spoiled/hooked/addicted/ruined ! From what I hear and have seen, the Imperial Port is a great pen and quite a looker- enjoy it! Enjoy the place and see you around!

Welcome kelly, I have that exact same pen from Richard in the same color. It is striking, and great value for the price.

Anway, welcome to our abode.

Thanks for your welcome and I completely understand your statement! I'm already thinking of my next purchase....!! I have a feeling by the time this is all over, I'll be in 12 Step Pen Program

Btw, I hope the quote thingy works as I'm not too computer savvy!

Thanks for the welcome, Kendall, and your great review of the Andante as well - very thorough! It was a tough choice between the Forest Marble and Cranberry with the Imperial Port but I couldn't be happier. I'm thinking of a Pelikan next but they are a wee bit out of my price range. For the moment, though, the Taccia is completely satisfying....and I haven't even written with a gold nib, yet. I'll be in real trouble then Also, enjoyed your picts from the pen show - nice!

"Edit: fixed quote brackets"

Well, if it was a disposable Pilot VPen (photos here), you need not be ashamed at all; they are super writers! Even if wasn't a VPen, you do not need to feel ashamed---there is nothing wrong with using an inexpensive pen if it writes well

So....Welcome to FPN, Kelly!
I have relatives in Sacramento and I've been to northern California numerous times (San Francisco, Sacramento, etc.). Lovely area...

Welcome and Enjoy! This is the friendliest pen forum around!

Hi,

Welcome! Just grab a bottle of ink, sit back and relax.

Dillon

Hey, you start where you start -- don't be ashamed. And welcome.

I think I started with both Platignum calligraphy pens and Sheaffer No Nonsense calligraphy pens, around 1983, but I honestly don't remember. I'm a Sheaffer and Pelikan fan these days, though I wander into Waterman, Parker, and Esterbrook territory, and am considering others.

So who are your favorite authors, and what kinds of music do you need like oxygen?

Thank you! I'll have to look into Sheaffer, too. I'm familiar with the name but haven't a clue about the pens - and anything in the Pelikan series looks pretty wonderful. My b-day is a couple of months away and I'm sure I'll have one picked out by then

Regarding my favorite authors, here's a quik list of them:

Toni Morrison
Margaret Atwood
A.S. Byatt
Carol Shields
Chitra Divakaruni
Erica Jong
Anne Sexton
Ted Hughes
Mary Roach
Milan Kundera
Jamaica Kincaid
Nelson Demille
Ruth Rendell

And several others that I'm certain I'm forgetting

As for the life-sustaining musical component - here are some I can't get along without:

Siouxsie Sioux
Joni Mutchell
Kate Bush
Joan Armatrading
Bjork
Eurythmics/Annie Lennox
Jeff Buckley
Billie Holiday
Coldplay
Radiohead
Sigur Ros
Amina
Air
Basement Jaxx
Bloc Party
Les Rita Mitsouko
Moloko
The Brazilian Girls
The Afghan Whigs
Twilight Singers
Jackie Green
Buddy Guy
Jimi Hendrix
Christopher Parkening
Andres Segovia
Bach
Mozart
Haydn
Goreki
Ravel
Mariza
Madeleine Peyroux
Cesaria Evora
Charles Mingus
The Gipsy Kings

What are you reading or listening to currently?


(Edit: corrected 'Sheaffer' spelling to mask total newbie dorkdom, not that this is a given )

Hmmmm... our tastes overlap a lot, and you've got Joan Armatrading on your music list and Margaret Atwood on your reading list (yay!).

Most recent reread: Lady Oracle, by Margaret Atwood; most recent music listened to: Aerial, by Kate Bush, and a family-made mix of music by Stew/The Negro Problem.

Oh, it's always great to hear about other Armatrading and Atwood fans! Woo hoo!It's coincidental that you should mention "Lady Oracle" as it's next on my list to read. I read her middle novels and short stories first then made my way to the more recent (I just finished "The Penelopiad" last month. It's her take on The Odyssey but told from the perspective of Penelope. It's funny, poignant, incredibly insightful and clever) and am now delving into her early work: "Surfacing", "Lady Oracle", "Life Before Man", and "Bodily Harm". I'd pretty much give up a limb for a Canadian first of "The Edible Woman" :bunny1:

I'm also hoping Miss Armatrading releases something fairly soon, too. I think she's been busy getting her degree if I remember correctly. It's a shame that she is really never been given her proper due as a wicked guitarist, not to mention songwriter and vocalist. I've had the pleasure of seeing both women when they came to my neck of the woods and was even more impressed by them in person.

I'll have to check out the Stew/The Negro Problem. Family made mixes can be some of the best

Howdy Kelly and welcome to the Fountain Pen Nuthouse I am sure that you will love it here and gain a lot of knowledge about pens, and maybe even attend a few pen shows. Likewise, we have a section with great ink reviews on this Web site and I am sure you will find some new inks that you will fall in love with.

Welcome aboard and...

Happy Holidays!!